Reward Boosted in Teller’s Slaying

Longtime Thousand Oaks car dealer Pete Shaver has contributed $10,000 to a reward to find the killer of bank teller Monica Lynne Leech, boosting the fund to about $171,000.

Shaver matched a donation by the city of Thousand Oaks after the April 29 robbery at Western Financial Savings. Two men robbed the bank and one of them shot the 39-year-old mother of two. The robbers escaped in a white sports utility vehicle.

“This heinous crime shocked me out of a lethargy which many people in the Thousand Oaks area have fallen prey to, with the false premise that we are living in an insulated area,” Shaver said.

Investigators, who are pursuing more than 300 leads, applauded Shaver’s donation and hoped it would rekindle interest in the case.

“All this can do is help,” said Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Rod Mendoza. “This city is full of leaders, but for a private citizen to do this just shows a lot about the community.”

Shaver’s donation will be added to reward money already posted by the Western League of Savings Institutions, Ventura County Crime Stoppers and the city of Thousand Oaks.